Recientemente, Intermountain Health inauguró un centro independiente que combina procedimientos quirúrgicos y endoscópicos en Sandy, Utah. Además, anunció la apertura de otros dos establecimientos de endoscopia en Utah, uno que se inaugurará en Ogden a finales de este año y otro que se inaugurará en Riverton en 2026. La meta es ofrecer procedimientos de salud digestiva más asequibles y accesibles a los pacientes y familias de esas comunidades. 

La salud digestiva está adquiriendo mayor protagonismo, ya que los estadounidenses se interesan cada vez más en la alimentación saludable, la nutrición, la salud intestinal y el mantenimiento de un peso saludable. Intermountain Health ayuda a los pacientes a ser más proactivos respecto a su salud digestiva a través de una atención integral y en equipo para cada paciente. 

Los centros de endoscopia independientes tienen menos gastos generales que los que operan dentro de un hospital o con una licencia hospitalaria. Muchos estadounidenses recurren a otros centros independientes quirúrgicos o de diagnóstico por imagen similares para reducir los gastos de bolsillo de la atención médica. Un centro de endoscopia es otro lugar que puede ayudar a los pacientes con una experiencia de atención médica óptima y de alta calidad a un menor costo. 

El nuevo centro quirúrgico de Intermountain Health, Alta View, está situado en el campus del Alta View Hospital de Intermountain Health en Sandy, Utah. Los dos nuevos centros de endoscopia en desarrollo se ubicarán en los campus de los hospitales de Intermountain Health McKay-Dee Hospital en Ogden, Utah, y Riverton Hospital en Riverton, Utah, o cerca de ellos. 

“Con la apertura de nuestros nuevos centros de endoscopia, Intermountain Health aumentará el acceso a una alternativa de menor costo para los procedimientos diagnósticos y terapéuticos de salud digestiva con el fin de prevenir, identificar y tratar las condiciones médicas digestivas en etapas tempranas”, declaró el Dr. Nathan Merriman, director médico senior del Programa Clínico de Especialidades Quirúrgicas y Salud Digestiva de Intermountain Health. “Esto sucede en un momento en el que cada vez hay más personas con condiciones médicas digestivas crónicas y con cáncer de colon a edades más tempranas en Estados Unidos”. 

Intermountain Health es un sistema de salud integrado que incluye un plan de seguro médico, por lo que ofrecer servicios de endoscopia para necesidades no urgentes con este nuevo modelo en un entorno de menor costo es acorde con la misión de Intermountain como sistema de salud sin fines de lucro para mejorar la salud general de las personas en las comunidades en las que presta servicios. 

El Centro de Endoscopia de Alta View y los otros establecimientos que se anunciaron para Utah serán gestionados por Surgery Partners, un operador líder de centros quirúrgicos y servicios auxiliares con más de 200 ubicaciones en 30 estados. 

“Surgery Partners cuenta con un modelo de prestación diferenciado cuyo enfoque es ofrecer soluciones rentables y de alta calidad para la atención quirúrgica y auxiliar relacionada, por lo que su filosofía se alinea muy bien con la misión de Intermountain”, según afirmó el Dr. Merriman. 

Los servicios de endoscopia de estos centros incluyen colonoscopias, que son el método más eficaz de detección del cáncer de colon y de crecimientos precancerosos y pólipos. Durante la colonoscopia de detección, incluso pueden extirparse algunos pólipos o bultos anormales. 

La Sociedad Americana Contra el Cáncer calcula que, en 2025, se diagnosticarán en Estados Unidos 107,320 (ciento siete mil trescientos veinte) nuevos casos de cáncer de colon y 46,950 (cuarenta y seis mil novecientos cincuenta) nuevos casos de cáncer de recto. Asimismo, informó que unos 53,000 (cincuenta y tres mil) estadounidenses murieron de cáncer de colon en 2024. 

Se recomienda que las personas comiencen a realizarse una detección mediante colonoscopia a partir de los 45 años o antes si existen antecedentes familiares de cáncer de colon. No se necesita una derivación para una colonoscopia de detección en el Centro de Endoscopía de Alta View. 

“Además de las colonoscopías, el centro de endoscopía también ofrece procedimientos de endoscopía superior para examinar el esófago, el estómago y la parte superior del intestino delgado.” 

“Esta combinación central de exámenes de endoscopía superior e inferior nos permitirá evaluar los síntomas y las condiciones médicas como el reflujo, el esófago de Barrett, las dificultades para tragar, las úlceras, el dolor abdominal, las náuseas, la hinchazón, el sangrado gastrointestinal, la diarrea crónica, el estreñimiento crónico y las hemorroides”, explicó el Dr. Merriman. 

Además, agregó: “Este tipo de procedimientos también pueden ayudar en el diagnóstico y tratamiento de condiciones médicas crónicas o más graves, como la enfermedad de Crohn, la colitis ulcerosa, la diverticulitis o el cáncer de esófago”. 

Para los procedimientos de endoscopia superior se necesita una derivación de su médico de atención primaria o especialista. 

“Esta asociación es un gran ejemplo de cómo podemos hacer realidad modelos de atención innovadores si trabajamos juntos”, afirmó Noah Clevenger, vicepresidente regional de Operaciones de Surgery Partners. “Gracias a la combinación de nuestras fortalezas, estamos creando más puntos de acceso para que los pacientes de Utah reciban una atención médica digestiva a tiempo, asequible y altamente especializada, mientras brindamos a los médicos las herramientas y el entorno que necesitan para ofrecer resultados excepcionales”. 

Intermountain Health ya gestiona tres centros de endoscopia independientes en Denver, en colaboración con Gastroenterology of the Rockies. 

Con la incorporación de los centros de endoscopia nuevos y los anunciados en Utah, Intermountain Health gestionará un total de seis centros de endoscopia en Colorado y Utah. 

 

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Intermountain Health recently opened a free-standing combined surgical and endoscopy procedure center in Sandy, Utah, and is announcing two other Utah endoscopy center locations that will open in Ogden later this year and in Riverton in 2026, to help bring more affordable and accessible digestive health procedures to patients and families in those communities. 

Digestive health is coming more to the forefront as Americans are paying more attention to healthy eating, nutrition, gut health and maintaining a healthy weight. Intermountain Health is helping patients be more proactive about their digestive health through comprehensive, team-based care. 

Free-standing endoscopy centers have lower overhead than those operating inside a hospital or under a hospital’s license. 

Many Americans are turning to other similar free-standing surgery centers or imaging centers to help keep their out-of-pocket expenses for healthcare services down. An endoscopy center is one more place that can help patients with a streamlined, high quality healthcare experience at a lower cost. 

The new Intermountain Health Surgery Center – Alta View is located on the campus of Intermountain Health’s Alta View Hospital in Sandy, Utah. The two new endoscopy centers under development will be located on or near the campuses of Intermountain Health’s McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah and Riverton Hospital in Riverton, Utah. 

“With the opening of our new endoscopy centers, Intermountain Health is increasing access to a lower-cost alternative for digestive health diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to prevent, identify, and treat digestive health conditions in earlier stages,” said Nathan Merriman, MD, senior medical director of the Surgical Specialties and Digestive Health Clinical Program at Intermountain Health. “This comes at a time when we’re seeing more people with chronic digestive health conditions and younger ages of colon cancer across the U.S.” 

Intermountain Health is an integrated health system which includes a health insurance plan, so offering endoscopy services for non-emergent needs under this new model in a lower-cost setting is in keeping with Intermountain’s mission as a nonprofit health system to improve the overall health of people in the communities it serves. 

The Alta View endoscopy center and other locations announced for Utah will be managed by Surgery Partners, a leading operator of surgical facilities and ancillary services with more than 200 locations across 30 states. 

“Surgery Partners has a differentiated delivery model focused on providing high quality, cost-effective solutions for surgical and related ancillary care, so their philosophy aligns very well with Intermountain’s mission,” said Dr. Merriman. 

Endoscopy services at these centers include colonoscopies which are the most effective method of screening for colon cancer and finding precancerous growths and polyps. Some polyps or abnormal masses can even be removed during the screening colonoscopy. 

The American Cancer Society estimates that 107,320 new cases of colon cancer and 46,950 new cases of rectal cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2025. They reported that about 53,000 Americans died from colon cancer in 2024. 

Colonoscopy screening is recommended beginning at age 45 or earlier if there is a family history of colon cancer. A referral is not needed for a screening colonoscopy at the Alta View Endoscopy Center. 

“In addition to colonoscopies, the endoscopy center also provides upper endoscopy procedures to examine the esophagus, stomach, and upper part of the small intestine. This core combination of upper and lower endoscopy exams will help us evaluate symptoms and conditions like acid reflux, Barrett’s esophagus, swallowing difficulties, ulcers, abdominal pain, nausea, bloating, gluten allergy, gastrointestinal bleeding, chronic diarrhea, chronic constipation, and hemorrhoids,” said Dr. Merriman.

“These types of procedures can also aid in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic or more serious conditions like Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, or esophageal cancer,” he added. 

Upper endoscopy procedures require a referral from your primary care doctor or specialist. 

“This partnership is a great example of how we can bring innovative care models to life by working together,” said Noah Clevenger, Regional Vice President of Operations at Surgery Partners. “By aligning our strengths, we’re creating more access points for patients in Utah to receive timely, affordable, and highly specialized digestive healthcare—while supporting physicians with the tools and environment they need to deliver exceptional outcomes.” 

Intermountain Health already operates three free-standing endoscopy centers in Denver in partnership with Gastroenterology of the Rockies. 

With the addition of the new and announced endoscopy centers in Utah, Intermountain Health will operate a total of six endoscopy centers in Colorado and Utah. 

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Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs.  

Headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, Surgery Partners is a leading healthcare services company with a differentiated outpatient delivery model focused on providing high-quality, cost-effective solutions for surgical and related ancillary care in support of both patients and physicians. Founded in 2004, Surgery Partners is one of the largest and fastest growing surgical services businesses in the country, with more than 200 locations in 30 states, including ambulatory surgery centers, surgical hospitals, multi-specialty physician practices and urgent care facilities. 
 

Two executive chefs from Intermountain Health have been named as one of five finalist teams in the U.S. to qualify for a national culinary competition of healthcare and senior dining chefs hosted by the Association for Healthcare Food Services (AHF) and held in New Orleans Aug. 21-23.

The annual competition highlights the best chefs in healthcare and senior dining facilities who are re-defining the industry with their self-operated culinary services that design and create their meals in-house rather than contracting with a food service company.

Intermountain Health’s Executive Chef Roberto Rodriguez, based in Salt Lake City, and Executive Chef Joseph Westley, based near Denver, will represent Intermountain Health during the live competition.

Finalist teams were selected from a record-breaking number of submissions across the country through a blind review process and were evaluated by industry leaders using a standardized scoring rubric based on the official competition rules. Criteria include strict adherence to nutritional and cost guidelines, as well as recipe quality, technical skill, and culinary innovation.

To qualify, each team selected ingredients from two curated market baskets and turned them into a delicious, nutritious dish that costs less than $2 and has reduced sodium, fat, and calorie levels. The goal is to impress the judges with not only taste and flavors, but also with a variety of colors, textures, and artistic presentation.

The dish prepared by the Intermountain executive chefs includes recipes for Pan-fried Andouille Crab Cakes, Pecan Sweet Potato Mash, Eggplant Dirty Rice with Red Bean Sauce and Remoulade Sauce, topped with an Okra Relish.

“My inspiration for the dish was my previous trips to New Orleans, one of my favorite cities in the world,” said Chef Rodriguez. “I wanted to put as much of the heart of New Orleans cuisine on one plate as possible. I tried to incorporate different components of the traditional dishes the area is known for such as red beans and rice, dirty rice, and crab cakes.”

“To bring the dish to life, we used a variety of classic cooking techniques including sautéing, boiling, pan-searing, puréeing, and emulsifying,” he added.

“This dish will not only make you excited, but it will also make your taste buds excited,” said Chef Westley. “The competition is done in pairs because two sets of hands are better than one in the kitchen. This allows chefs to divide up the workload so we can focus on quality and sanitation.”

The two chefs came together in Utah recently to practice their dishes. The details of the recipes will be available from Intermountain Health and AHF after the competition in August.

Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system that serves approximately 35,000 meals daily to patients, caregivers, and visitors. Intermountain’s culinary services staff includes more than 1,600 caregivers supporting guests and communities at health facilities in the Intermountain West.

Intermountain Health’s culinary philosophy is rooted in the belief that food is a vital part of healing, well-being, and community. Intermountain chefs and culinary service staff aim to deliver meals that are not only nutritious and safe but also comforting and culturally attuned to the diverse populations of patients, caregivers, and guests we serve.

Intermountain Health’s culinary goal is to create a dining experience that supports recovery, energizes staff, and fosters a welcoming environment. This commitment is reflected in a focus on culinary innovation, minimally manipulated ingredients, sustainability, and service excellence—ensuring every plate contributes to our mission of helping people live the healthiest lives possible.

For more information about culinary career opportunities at Intermountain Health click here.

Due to steadily declining birth rates in Mesa County and unsustainable decreases in the number of new patients at Bloomin’ Babies Birth Center in Grand Junction, CO, the difficult decision has been made to close the birth center on March 28, 2025.

Current patients of the freestanding birth center can transition to receive care from their current care team or a new team at Intermountain Health’s Patterson OB-GYN and Midwifery Clinic, 610 25^th Road, the Wellington OB-GYN Clinic, 2525 N. 8^th St., or the St. Mary’s Family Medicine Clinic, 2698 Patterson Road, Entrance 42. 

Care navigators from Intermountain Health will work one-on-one with patients who would like assistance in transitioning their care.

These clinics have certified-nurse midwives, OB-GYN physicians and/or family medicine physicians who support patients who prefer unmedicated and low-intervention labor and delivery options, and current patients can opt to give birth at Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital.

St. Mary’s Regional Hospital offers a variety of similar labor and delivery options as Bloomin’ Babies, including unmedicated or low-intervention birth, and natural pain relief methods and amenities to personalize the birth experience. 

These include in-room tubs for laboring, squat bars, birth balls, private rooms with natural lighting, and skin-to-skin time during the golden hour after birth to promote breastfeeding and bonding.

“St. Mary’s Regional Hospital offers comprehensive childbirth options to meet the full range of birth plans that range all the way from unmedicated, uncomplicated labor and delivery to epidurals and other pain-relief medications, to Cesarean sections and high-risk pregnancies,” said Bryan Johnson, president of Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital.

“Births at the hospital are supported by certified-nurse midwives and OB-GYNs with the ultimate goal to keep every mom and baby safe and healthy,” he added.

Physicians, midwives, and nurses at the hospital have years of experience providing high quality care and supporting pregnant and laboring moms as well as their partners with various types of birth plan goals. 

The Intermountain St. Mary’s team is dedicated to helping patients and families feel comfortable and at ease as they provide care, even if complications arise during pregnancy, labor, delivery or postpartum. Physicians and midwives help provide evidence-based information about medical conditions and the risks and benefits of treatment options so patients can make informed decisions.

“Having an unmedicated or low-intervention birth experience at the hospital offers the best of both worlds – the atmosphere of a birth center or home birth coupled with the reassurance that if complications arise, we have state of the art equipment and specialty trained staff ready to assist,” said Jenn Tuning, director of women and children’s services at Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital.

For babies born early, or who have a low birth weight or complicated medical conditions at birth, St. Mary’s has the only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Western Colorado. It is staffed with specially trained neonatologists, nurses, other sub-specialty caregivers, and the equipment to help monitor and manage the conditions of these typically, tiny babies who may also have heart problems or need help with breathing or eating.

St. Mary’s is also a Baby-Friendly certified hospital, which means it meets state criteria to support breastfeeding. Lactation consultants are available during hospital stays and afterward to offer breastfeeding support and information about breast pumps and pumping, going back to work and weaning.

Intermountain St. Mary’s also offers childbirth preparation classes and has a weekly parenting support group. Virtual tours of the labor and delivery unit are available here.

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Intermountain Health St. Mary's Regional Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado is now among five hospitals in the United States – and the only community hospital – to be verified by the American College of Surgeons and the Society for Vascular Surgery at their highest level of care (comprehensive inpatient) in their Vascular Verification Program. 

The 346-bed Intermountain Health hospital on Colorado’s Western Slope was recognized for its vascular surgical quality, nursing care, patient and staff safety, timely patient access, education, and state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. 

Vascular surgeons operate on arteries, veins and blood vessels in parts of the body such as the neck, arms, abdomen and legs. They treat conditions ranging from repairing damage due to physical trauma, to repairing blood vessels affected by smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, to repairing varicose veins, or aneurysms. They help prevent strokes, amputation, and death. 

The verification program is a national evidence-driven, standardized pathway for establishing and growing the quality improvement and clinical care infrastructure of vascular programs. 

The Vascular Verification project required input from more than 30 members of the hospital care team including vascular surgeons, nurses, clinical leadership, and support staff. Spearheading the project was Tej Singh, MD, MBA, medical director of vascular surgery at Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital and a current participant in Harvard Medical School’s Surgical Leadership Program. 

"This is truly a great honor for St. Mary's Hospital to be recognized as one of the first nationally verified programs. Kudos to all the doctors, nurses, and staff that worked to ensure its success," said Bryan Johnson, president of Intermountain St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. 

"We’re grateful to Dr. Singh for his instrumental work in building a high-quality vascular program and achieving vascular verification. These efforts include timely patient access and work with the vascular quality initiative registry, national accreditation, care compliance, surgical leadership, and mentoring,” said Ben Smalley, chief operating officer for St. Mary’s Regional Hospital. “Dr. Singh’s passion for vascular and endovascular care, and his team-based leadership have helped grow our program to deliver the highest-level of vascular care to our community.” 

"This is truly a great honor for St. Mary’s. It places us on the national vascular surgery map and reflects our commitment to providing the best care for our patients in our 250-mile service area in Western Colorado,” said Dr. Singh. “We developed our program around the guidelines to ensure we hit the highest national benchmarks of care, quality, safety, outcomes and education. I’m grateful and honored to work with so many fine clinicians delivering this national recognition which will result in the best vascular care for our patients.” 

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